Srinivasa Ramanujan Death Anniversary: 10 Quotes and Interesting Facts About the Mathematician

April 26, 2024 marks the 104th death anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan. (Image: Shutterstock)

This year marks the 104th death anniversary of Indian mathematical genius, Srinivasa Ramanujan. A pioneer in this field, Ramanujan developed several unique mathematical equations such as the Infinite series, mathematical analysis, number theory, game theory, and continued fractions, without having received any formal training in mathematics. A devout Hindu, the self-taught prodigy attributed his mathematical theories to divine inspiration. Ramanujan’s work continues to inspire mathematicians the world over. Below, we look at some interesting quotes and facts associated with him.

Srinivasa Ramanujan’s 104th Death Anniversary: Quotes

1. “An equation for me has no meaning, unless it expresses a thought of God.” – Srinivasa Ramanujan
2. “I have not trodden through the conventional regular course which is followed in a University course, but I am striking out a new path for myself.” –An excerpt from Ramanujan’s first letter to GH Hardy (1913).
3. “To preserve my brains I want food and this is now my first consideration.” – Srinivasa Ramanujan
4. “[1729] is a very interesting number; it is the smallest number expressible as a sum of two cubes in two different ways, the two ways being 13 + 123 and 93 + 103.” –Ramanujan, replying to G.H. Hardy’s “dull” comment about the number 1729.
5. “While asleep, I had an unusual experience. There was a red screen formed by flowing blood, as it were. I was observing it. Suddenly a hand began to write on the screen. I became all attention. That hand wrote a number of elliptic integrals. They stuck to my mind. As soon as I woke up, I committed them to writing.” – Srinivasa Ramanujan
6. “Every positive integer is one of Ramanujan’s personal friends.” – John Littlewood recalled by G H Hardy
7. “They must be true because, if they were not true, no one would have had the imagination to invent them.” – G.H. Hardy on some of Ramanujan’s formulas.
8. “A pure mathematician must leave to happier colleagues the great task of alleviating the sufferings of humanity.” –Robert Kanigel, The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan
9. “Success and fame left his natural simplicity untouched.” – E. H. Neville on Ramanujan.
10. “My association with him is the one romantic incident in my life”. – Excerpt from ‘Ramanujan: Twelve Lectures on Subjects Suggested by His Life and Work’ by G.H. Hardy

Srinivasa Ramanujan’s 104th Death Anniversary: Interesting Facts

1. Ramanujan was the first Indian elected as a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
2. Ramanujan credited goddess Namagiri for his theories.
3. G. H. Hardy gave Ramanujan a 100/100 in mathematical ability.
4. A theory conceived by Ramanujan on his deathbed can explain the behaviour of black holes.

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